| Religion for me has been a bewildering and reluctant | | | | thing fails. I don't believe that a religion or it's people |
| adversary. For the longest time religion meant belief | | | | can really be that fragile. |
| in some strangers prescription for salvation. As one | | | | Your Way Is The Right Way |
| matures and questions their life and the role of | | | | For a period, atheism or agnosticism seemed to be |
| religion in it, certain sticking points become clear. Why | | | | the way to go. All the other competing dogmas |
| so many different perceptions of religion? Why so | | | | wanted my entire mind, heart, and soul. Well, if that's |
| many different versions of religion? Why so much | | | | the case, then no one gets anything. Seemed like the |
| mutual exclusivity of the various religion doctrines? | | | | safe way to go. Not very satisfying, and certainly not |
| Belief in one religion shouldn't automatically exclude an | | | | very enlightening, but definitely safe. Just another |
| individual from believing or practicing in another. That's | | | | brick in the wall, close them all out. Maturity and time |
| ridiculous. The different and varying threads in the | | | | have a way of changing religious views and beliefs. |
| spirituality of religion have far more in common then | | | | Sometimes old age does as well, but that can be just |
| their proponents would care to admit to. It's almost | | | | a convenient hope to the inevitable fear of what |
| as if their saying that you must believe in everything | | | | comes after the whole mortal coil shrug. Not a real |
| that I say. No picking and choosing, just believe in all, | | | | belief I think. Some where along the line it occurred |
| or else your out. And it's not just the zealots, it | | | | to me that it just rang hollow to believe in nothing. |
| seems to be a persuasive thread among most | | | | Even the religion of little green men seemed to have |
| religions. | | | | a lot more going for it, then believing in nothing. So it |
| Unbelievably Fragile Beliefs | | | | occurred to me that there simply has to be more to |
| Tolerance and acceptance should not just be facades | | | | life then just what we can see and understand on |
| painted on by the practitioners of every dogmatic | | | | the third planet from the sun. There certainly is a lot |
| religious power. They are principals and values that | | | | more to be understood yet, then there currently is |
| need to be shared and instilled as the cornerstone of | | | | understood today. Current notions of religion try to |
| any religion. We all have our little quirks, just as each | | | | help there, but it's painfully old technology. I mean |
| religion has bizarre little rules, taboos, and rituals. How | | | | hey, 200 years ago they didn't even have black and |
| can one religion insist that their leaders practice | | | | white TV. What made those guys smart enough to |
| celibacy, while another promotes marriage for it's | | | | start a religion that answers today's questions. |
| leaders, and yet another is perfectly fine with | | | | My Way |
| polygamy? They can't all be wrong, surely one of | | | | I do believe that there is something bigger, grander, |
| these wise old sages is right. Or, maybe their all right. | | | | smarter, more tolerant, more enlightened and |
| They're definitely all wrong in suggesting their way is | | | | compassionate then any religion we on Terra firma |
| the only proper way. No wonder their is so much | | | | have come up so far. Someone, something, is waiting |
| confusion amongst people in this day and age of | | | | and watching and guiding. We just need a little more |
| enlightenment. Sometimes, it feels like if one tiny | | | | time to figure it out. In the mean time, can't we all |
| tenant of their dogmatic domicile fails then the whole | | | | just get along? |